What is Diwali?
Diwali is the Hindu "festival of lights" which celebrates the New Year. It is India's most important holiday.
It's a five day celebration that falls in October or November and as it is calculated by the lunar Hindu calendar, it falls on different days each year.
The festival of lights is held in honour of Lakshmi , the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. Hindus pray to Lakshmi to bring them good luck in the coming year.
Celebrating Diwali
Diwali is celebrated all over the world and it is an optimistic, happy festival that marks new beginnings.
Houses are given a major clean or even redecorated and torans (decorative garlands made with fresh mango leaves and golden marigolds) are hung over doorways. People will forgive and forget past wrongdoings and resolve to spend the coming year in peace, harmony, purity.
A large part of the festival is worship, both private and communal, and devout Hindus will wake up early and bathe at the crack of dawn to go to temple.
According to Hindu beliefs, the goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring wealth and good fortune, only visits homes that are clean and brightly lit, which is why every home is lit up with many hand-painted terracotta lamps. There will often be firework displays as they represent the fiery, loud weapons used in ancient mythology to fight the forces of evil.
According to the Hindu Vikram calendar, the day after Diwali is New Year’s Day. This is when all debts should be cleared, new accounts started and old enemies embraced in the spirit of reconciliation.